It might seem unusual ... Lord Ram's statue in Goa is rooted in centuries of Dvaita Vaishnavism and the 550-year legacy of the Partagali Math.
The statue is a symbol of faith and cultural resilience, PM Narendra Modi has said.
For his part, BJP leader and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has repeatedly underscored his government's devotion to Lord Ram, by announcing plans to acquire land in Ayodhya for a Goa Bhawan.
He had backed the concept of a 77-foot bronze Ram statue in Goa.
And in February 2024, Sawant, along with cabinet colleagues and MLAs, travelled to Ayodhya to offer prayers at the newly built Ram Temple, calling it a "Rashtra Mandir".
“Earlier, people used to come to Goa for the sun, sand, and sea,” Sawant said at an event organized by the Goa-based Sanatan Sanstha in October.
The Sanatan Sanstha backs the BJP’s idea of a Hindu Rashtra.
“Now they visit Goa’s beautiful temples, culture, and villages. This is Goa’s culture," the chief minister has said.
Why should Goa have the world's tallest Ram statue?
For the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community and Dvaita Vaishnavites, Goa has always been a spiritual anchor.
Dvaita Vaishnavism is a Hindu philosophical tradition founded by the 13th-century saint-philosopher Madhvacharya, which teaches that God and the soul are two separate realities.
In this tradition, Lord Vishnu is the supreme God, and his avatars, which includes Ram and Krishna, are central to worship.
Because Ram is considered an incarnation of Vishnu, Dvaita followers see devotion to Ram as devotion to the supreme divine himself. The philosophy emphasises bhakti (devotion), and that is why Ram has a major place in Dvaita Vaishnava temples, maths, and rituals.
The Partagali Math, founded over 550 years ago, is the first Vaishnava institution for the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins.
It sits on the banks of the Kushavati River in South Goa's Canacona, close to the Karnataka border. The math has for centuries been a cultural hub for Saraswat Hindus from Goa, coastal Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Ram statue in Ayodhya
The Partagali Math became a stronghold of Hindu continuity in a region amid waves of cultural transformation, first during the pre-colonial, then in the colonial periods.
A math is a Hindu monastic and spiritual institution that serves as a centre for religious teaching, worship, and community guidance. But its importance grows even sharper when viewed against Goa's pre-colonial and colonial history.
From 1510 to 1961, Goa was under Portuguese rule. During that time, the math, just like many Hindu institutions, faced missionary pressure, restrictions, and even periodic displacement. Yet they survived. So did the Partagali Math. It preserved sacred idols, scriptures and rituals, including Shri Veera MoolaRama (original Rama) Devaru, an ancient and revered idol of Lord Ram belonging to the Saraswat community.
Unlike Udupi (250 km south), the well-known Dvaita centre in Karnataka, the Partagali Math represents a distinct Vaishnavite tradition rooted in the western coast's local Saraswat community.
The math's 550-year celebration was therefore the perfect moment and location for a large-scale tribute to Lord Ram.
Goa's Statue inaugurated by Narendra Modi is a reminder that beneath Goa's beaches and nightlife runs a much older spiritual current.
This one has survived colonialism, anchored communities for centuries, and today stands tall, literally and symbolically, says an article in 'India Today.
“Today, India is witnessing a remarkable cultural renaissance, with the restoration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the grand redevelopment of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, and the expansion of Mahakal Mahalok in Ujjain, all reflecting the nation’s awareness that is reviving its spiritual heritage with new strength,” PM Modi said.
“There were times when temples and local traditions in Goa faced crises, and when language and cultural identity came under pressure, yet these circumstances did not weaken the soul of society but made it stronger,” Modi said, adding
.... that it was institutions like the Partagali Math that played a major role in helping the state “preserve its original essence through every change.”
At the start of the Hindu holy month of Shravan in late July this year, banners appeared in parts of Goa declaring that “Goa bans beef” for the entire month. The order issued by a Hindu group had no official sanction, yet it carried weight.
Shravan, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is traditionally a period of fasting and abstinence for devout Hindus. Many refrain from meat altogether, and beef — considered taboo by orthodox Hindus — is especially sensitive. This time, the observance took on a sharper edge.
The self-styled “gau rakshaks,” or cow protectors, began conducting extrajudicial checks on cattle and beef transporters. Their vigilance led to a sudden shortage of beef across the state.
“It is a symptom of a larger social transition underway in Goa,” says Andrew Sequeira, a Catholic resident. “Hindu groups are now trying to impose themselves on Goa’s psyche.”
Since 2022, when the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power with a coalition government, such shortages have become more frequent. In December 2024, ahead of Christmas, beef traders went on strike after repeated attacks by cow vigilantes.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a loyalist of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS or National Volunteers Corps), has been outspoken in his endorsement of right-wing Hindu groups.
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